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Bushroot
Dr. Reginald Bushroot is a botanist who became a half-plant/half-duck mutant through one of his failed experiments. He's one of the most recurring villains on the show Darkwing Duck. Fueled by loneliness, he will stop at nothing to find a companion for himself and is a member of the fearsome five. He is voiced by Tino Insana. Background Before his mutation, Reginald Bushroot was a botanist employed at the St. Canard University, where he shared laboratory space with colleagues Rhoda Dendron, Larson, and Gary. Bushroot and Dendron were good company to each other, but Larson and Gary took great joy in bullying the physically weaker and psychologically delicate Bushroot. Bushroot was developing a method to make animals able to photosynthesize, which would solve world hunger, but the university Dean showed no interest because they couldn't profit from it. As his funding for his experiments was about to be cut, to prove his theories were correct, Bushroot performed an experiment on himself and was permanently transformed into a half-duck half-plant creature He pursued revenge on rival scientists Dr. Gary and Dr. Larson who had nicknamed him "Reggie the Veggie." Bushroot seemingly kills Dr. Gary and Dr. Larson and attempted to woo the beautiful Dr. Rhoda Dendron, who had previously defended Bushroot from bullies. Rhoda was dismayed by Bushroot's lack of scientific ethics and shunned him when he appeared before her. Heartbroken and more than a little insane, Bushroot took her hostage, intending to perform the same experiment on her, but was stopped by Darkwing Duck. In later episodes Bushroot mainly commits crimes to fund his experiments, though sometimes he acts in a manner reminiscent of an environmentalist. Bushroot has the ability to control any and all forms of plant, though some seem to obey better than others. He sometimes has to use chemicals or fertilizers to make a plant useful in a fight. In one episode, he attempts to create a mate for himself, but mistakenly used the wrong seeds and creates a giant slobbering mutant potato named Posey. He also has a pet plant named Spike which resembles a Venus flytrap. Bushroot has dark green feathers, vines for arms, ivy leaves for hands, and shaggy magenta foliage for hair. He has the ability to regenerate himself when cut and is therefore virtually impossible to kill. He has also been known to fake his own death through leaving dried dummy husks behind and regenerating through various methods. Aside from his many plant cohorts, Bushroot was also allied as a member of the Fearsome Five, acting as one of Negaduck's henchmen. In the Life, the Negaverse and Everything, Bushroot's counterpart is a member of the Friendly Four, and he seems braver and more willing to act and speak up. In the episode "A Star Is Scorned" Bushroot is portrayed as an less than intelligent actor (along with the rest of the Darkwing Duck cast) for "Dizzy" (Disney) studios. After blooming into a plant-duck hybrid he gained a mental connection with and the loyalty of flora, putting him in charge of an immense potential army. With the power to make mighty trees and thorny vines strike at his enemies, this would make him one of the most dangerous beings in Saint Canard. However his personality, largely being that of a pacifist, renders the potential violence of these powers near non-existent. Only once has he used them in a genuinely lethal way, and aimed at long term tormentors of his. He is effectively indestructible, as he can abandon one husk and transfer his mind into a fresh one and simply regrow his body, allowing him to survive fatal accidents like being chopped to pieces, drying up, etc. Personality Bushroot is driven by desire for love and companionship. He had a very low self esteem before his mutation, and this often drags him down from being able to achieve his dreams and goals. Now, after his mutation, it was as if that self esteem was taken from him, thrown onto the floor, crushed, stamped on, beaten, burned up, and then flung back to him. No matter what he does, people would run from him in fright, or attack him on sight. They never gave him a chance to show that he could be more than this. An example would be It's a Wonderful Leaf, where he'd just wished to do some normal shopping, until he was hurt and attacked by the mall shoppers for no particular reason. Had people shown more kindness and acceptance towards him, he would never have gone down the path of villainy. Unlike most St Canardians, Bushroot is not aggressive, and all he used to want was world peace. Even as a villain, he has reservations about hurting people, and most of his crimes consists of making a wife for himself, or a friend. This also makes him a coward and a pushover. He was unable to stand up for himself, especially against the bullies in St Canard University, and now, he still allows himself to be pushed around by his team. while he's no saint, he's defiantly the nicest member of the fearsome five. He also has the ability to do good, even after being labelled as a villain. In Twin Beaks, he assisted an army of cow aliens to spy on some evil cabbages, and even helped stop them from wold domination by working together with Darkwing. He also decided to help Darkwing and release Gosalyn when she turned into a slime monster in Slime Okay, You're Okay, where it was revealed he wished to establish a friendship with the hero. Bushroot is also shown as patient and unconditional. In Night of the Living Spud, he was willing to marry an unpleasant, barely sentient and demanding potato vampire, and even feel sadness and anger for her death. He also took care of a ravenous and savage piece of hedge in Slime Okay, You're Okay, refusing to give up on it even when it ate his books. However, this does not mean Bushroot is not a villain. Due to his selfishness and a tendency to go overboard upon losing his temper, he has hurt more people that he'd intended to. He never considered Rhoda's feelings before hooking her up to his plant converter against her wishes, insisting she would like it. When he was attacked by mall shoppers in It's a Wonderful Leaf, he decided to take Christmas away from everyone, and he never considered the ones who didn't deserve it, such as Honker Muddlefoot. In Night of the Living Spud, when he found out Darkwing was making out with his potato wife, it sent him into a rage, and he even tried to mow Darkwing down. He also desires vengeance, one of the biggest examples being Dr. Gary and Dr. Larson, whom he'd murdered after years and years of bullying. He seems to suffer from bouts of insanity as well, which was probably caused by his loneliness, pent-up anger and need for a friend. Appearance Prior to his mutation Bushroot was a short balding duck with a few strands of black hair, blue eyes ,and white feathers. He usually wore a blue suit with a black neck tie. After his mutation he seemed to have gotten a little taller, his feathers turned green and gained a full head of purple foliage in place of hair. Fiction Cartoon Bushroot is among the villains Darkwing dreams up during a period of low crime. In the dream, he is defeated by a giant Morgana Macawber. While Bushroot himself doesn't appear in this episode, his appearance is used by Tuskernini to rob a bank. Joining Negaducks Fearsome Five, he and Liquidator were tasked with getting rid of the police by planting beanstalk seeds around the police station. While doing so, he expressed fear of running into a policemen, only to quite literally run into a policeman who quickly called out for his colleages. Out of fear, Bushroot ran and hid behind Liquidator who easily washed away the policemen. Then using his ability to control plants he made the beanstalk entrap the police station and lift it thousands of feet into the air. As the beanstalk continues to grow Liquidator and Bushroot celebrate a job well done. Darkwing Duck soon arrives to put a stop their crimes. As the daring hero was preparing to attack the villainous pair, he was crushed by a street light which was toppled over by Steggmutt who had just arrived to give Darkwing his change for a hot dog he had bought earlier. Horrified of Steggmutt, Bushroot ran and hid behind a trash can and hoped it wasn't a plant eater. Soon realizing that Steggmutt was childish and liked to play games like 'let's pretend', they used this to their advantage as Liquidator told Steggmutt to pretend Darkwing was on fire and Bushroot told him to "put out the Darkwing." Which led to Steggmutt repetitively throwing Darkwing against the pavement. While Steggmutt was "putting out" Darkwing, Bushroot and Liquidator use the golden opportunity to escape. They went back to their secret hide out where they met up with Quackerjack, Megavolt, and Negaduck and informed him that the police station was out of the way. Pleased with this news, Negaduck informs him and the rest of the Fearsome Five that he's, personally, was going to take out Shush Central, which impressed them. Bushroot then asks what will he do if Darkwing Duck shows up only for him to fire two rockets in their direction. Later he appears on the bridge with the rest of the Fearsome Five when they activate the force field around St. Canard and then quickly leaves in Negaduck's helicopter. Afterwards he and the others went back to their hotel hideout. Darkwing Duck wasn't far behind them though was soon at their door step, where he was jumped by Bushroot, Liquidator, Quackerjack, and Megavolt. Darkwing was then dropped to his supposed death. When Morgana was looking for the Fearsome Five's hide out, she ran into Bushroot who falsely informed her that Darkwing Duck was dead. Shocked by this news she told Eek and Squeak to attack, but luckily was saved by two flytraps who ate Eek and Squeak. Morgana quickly turned the flytraps into daisies to free her pet bats and claimed daisies were harmless only for Bushroot to use said daisies to tie her up and use a tree to knock her unconscious. He then brought Morganas unconscious body to Negaduck along with the other captured hero's (caught by the other members of the fearsome five) which delighted Negaduck to see. Later while Negaduck was getting ready to kill the Justice Ducks (minus Darkwing Duck) by throwing the switch, Bushroot had gotten into a fight with Quackerjack because his toys were trampling his plants. The fight caused Negaduck to show up and splice a model of the city into four parts and explain they can rule four independent parts of the city without imposing on each other's wishes. They were pleased by this idea until Negaduck told them that he gets to keep the money. Upset with this, Bushroot suggested they kill Negaduck and keep the riches, the others jumped at this Idea. Just as they decided to do so, Darkwing Duck disguises himself as Negaduck and shows up to the hideout. Bushroot and company then try to kill Darkwing only for him to escape to the other end of the room. As Liquidator, Megavolt, and Quackerjack were moving in for the kill, Bushroot started chanting "Kill Negaduck, Kill Negaduck." The real Negaduck re-entered the room enraged by their plot to kill him. Bushroot and the others lie and said they knew that the fake was Darkwing all along, and that they were testing Negaduck. They then jumped Darkwing. Negaduck had Bushroot hold Darkwing as he was forced to watch Negaduck pull the switch that would kill the Justice Ducks. Darkwing escaped from Bushroot's grasp to try to stop Negaduck from pulling the switch, but Bushroot quickly got a hold of Darkwing again. When Negaduck pulled the switch, he then turned his attentions to Darkwing with a chainsaw, scaring off Bushroot. Negaduck's chainsaw was turned into a yak which grabbed the attention of the Fearsome Five. After the Justice Ducks were freed, a big brawl between the Fearsome Five and the Justice Ducks broke out. Bushroot then used two cacti to protect himself only for them to be destroyed by Steggmutt who asked Darkwing how to take care of Bushroot. Darkwing cleverly took the opportunity to exact his revenge for earlier, and told him to pretend Bushroot was on fire and to "put out the Bushroot." After Steggmutt "put out" Bushroot to the point of unconsciousness and Negaduck's plan was foiled, Bushroot was sent to prison. In the beginning of the episode Bushroot is seen with the rest of the fearsome five splitting their loot from an unseen robbery, when Negaduck takes his half of the loots and prepares to leave he is questioned by Quackerjack on why he's never sticks around to hang after a crime wave, to which he responds by whacking Quackerjack with a sack of loot and berating his teammates by calling them "A bunch of losers" and that he hates them.The liquidator (and the rest of the group) immediately brush this of and states that it must be something else, Megavolt claims it must be his secret hideout, to which Negaduck concurs. Bushroot then asks why they simply can not accompany him to his hideout, as they don't have secret hideouts (non that Darkwing doesn't know about, anyway) only to have his arms and himself brutally tied into a knot. He quickly recovers and is disappointed by the fact Negaduck refused to let them anywhere near his secret hideout, only for 'Mr.Banana-brain' to suggest the brilliant idea of simply following him. Eventually, Bushroot and co. trail Negaduck to a bakery which initially confuses the bunch, until they decide to further investigate the issue. On there way in they, rather politely, pass Launchpad, who immediately runs home to tell Darkwing. The fearsome four soon barge in the backroom of the bakery, to which Negaduck immediately screams at them on what are they think they're doing there, to which no-one gives a direct answer. Darkwing Duck soon appears to cut off the fearsome fours half baked excuses short, enraged at the fact that Darkwing Duck now knows where his secret hideout is, he calls the fearsome four knobs. Willing to prove themselves, they throw themselves at Darkwing and successfully capture him. Bushroot and the rest of the fearsome four then throw Darkwing into a ominous glowing cake, much to Negaducks dismay. The fearsome four then ask Negaduck for his opinion on what they just did, feeling fairly competent, only for Negaduck to scream that they're knobs, and that they had just sent darkwing to the Negaverse. Naturally, the fearsome four are confused, but Negaduck clarifies that the negaverse is his secret hideout and he's not happy about Darkwing being there. This is all it takes to send the fearsome four running back to there not-so-secret hideouts. (Note: Bushroot's negaverse counter part appears and plays a role later in this episode) (While Bushroot doesn't appear in this episode, his ancestor, who happens to also be part plant, sound like him, and hang out with the ancestor of the fearsome five, does.) Bushroot is one of the villains terrorized out of St. Canard when Darkwing, out of grief, drastically improves his strategies to make the city crime-free. Though because Gosalyn went back in time to undo her disappearance, this never happened. Books Disney Comics comics Disney Adventures comics Bushroot puts money together with Moliarty, Tuskerninni, Steelbeak, Liquidator, Megavolt, and Quackerjack to watch the Miss Corn Fritters Pageant on pay-per-view. Their session is temporarily disrupted by Darkwing Duck, who suspects that they are involved in the abduction of Fluffy. However, Darkwing also meant to watch the pageant and readily agrees to pay ten bucks to get to watch along. Some hours later, the pageant finishes and everyone gets back to business, which for the villains means attacking Darkwing Duck. Bushroot attacks Launchpad, but he gets away and Tuskerninni trips into his colleagues, knocking them out cold. Darkwing calls the cops on them and they are all hauled off to jail, even though they had nothing to do with Fluffy's disappearance. The Disney Afternoon comics Boom! Studios comics Joe Books comics He is seen eating lunch with Megavolt and Quackerjack in the prison cafeteria, when one of the inmates claims to see Darkwing on TV which he doesn't seem to care about, until he realizes that there are literally hundreds of Darkwings running around to which he seems unnerved by. Video games / Notes * Bushroot is presumably modeled after Poison Ivy or the Florinic Man who are also scientists who mutated into beings half plant, half human. * He believes Stegmutt to be a plant eating dinosaur. * It was reveled in an interview with creator Tad Stones, that if given enough time, Bushroot would eventually reform. * According to a Twitter conversation with Tad Stones, Bushroot has killed more people than Negaduck. de:Buxbaum Category:Characters Category:Mutants Category:Males Category:Villains Category:Fearsome Five Category:Scientists Category:1991 characters Category:Cartoon characters Category:Book characters Category:Disney Comics comic characters Category:Disney Adventures comic characters Category:The Disney Afternoon comic characters Category:Boom! Studios comic characters Category:Joe Books comic characters Category:Video game characters